


Communication skills

by Piripulix300



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mutants, Characters a bit OOC, Fear of Discovery, Friendship, Gen, M/M, No Romance, Random & Short, Siren Dan, Weretiger Arin, but they are cute, they are kinda dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-14 18:50:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17514020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piripulix300/pseuds/Piripulix300
Summary: Arin is a mutant, and that is a problem. Mutants are looked down upon, and if someone discovers he is a weretiger, his career is sure to end. No one likes mutants. So it's hardly a surprise that he doesn't have any mutant friend. Of course, he knows he should be nicer to the one mutant he found in the bathroom and actually wants to be friend with him, but god dammit it's so difficult to keep in line!.Characters are taken from @egobang-tonight's AU.





	1. Lesson1: To overcome your curiosity

The door wouldn't open. Of all the worst possible time, the door had to get stuck  _now_ . Arin was getting angsty. If he swiped to his mutant form in the open, anyone could see him and possibly give him away. He fumbled with the door a bit more, before using the secret technique he learned a long time ago. He turned the lock to the right at its maximum and pushed the door up. It opened instantly. Arin went inside and smacked the door close behind him. With relief, he immediately swiped to his animal form. His pointy ears and his tail popped up freely. Fur made its way in his back and on his arms, as well as most part of his body. He sighed with content. A wrong move had left him in need of a good rub, and he couldn't swipe to his animal form in front of everybody. He scratched his arm frantically as the fur was itching him. A slight growl escaped his lips. His tail swiped up the air, he found the spot he was looking for and purred with content. 

Being a mutant was not what was troubling him. It was being found out that was the problem. He loved being a tiger and he knew that he wasn't dangerous, but not everyone was sharing his opinion about mutants. Just one look at his big strong paws and one would run away without thinking further.

Arin was at peace. That is until a noise startled him from his tranquillity. His cat ears turned on themselves. He had heard a weak squeaky noise coming from the bathtub behind him, certainly from someone who didn't want to be seen. Now he understood why the bathroom was locked. He should have been more careful. Slowly, carefully, he turned around. The tub was here, the shower curtain has been drawn and a blurry silhouette was visible inside. Arin heard an awkward splash. He could almost feel the accelerated heartbeat of the person inside it. The poor soul was as frightened as him, if not more. Arin gulped silently and decided on opening the discussion. Things couldn't get worse. He was careful about modulating his voice to his "mutant voice" before speaking so that he wouldn't be recognised. You know, basic security.

“Who are you?”

“...Nobody?” A shaky voice answered him, probably faked too. Arin guessed that it was a guy.

“What are you doing here?”

“H-Hiding.”

Arin rolled his eyes. This guy was so obvious. Of course, anyone would hide if a fricking mutant appeared. Arin's real question was in fact "why using this bathroom? And why using the bathtub?" This bathroom was the farthest and most forgotten bathroom of the Grump Space, and tonight the building was almost empty, which meant no queue for the other restrooms.

“You are a mutant,” the other’s voice shakily stated.

“Well, yes. What if I am?” Arin was getting frustrated. He hadn't been careful enough and now this guy knew about him. Not him _him_ but now someone knew that there was a mutant working here. Hopefully, they wouldn't suspect their boss. He heard another splash as the guy moved. Arin couldn't help but look at the tub. Only the guy's silhouette was visible. He had long straight hair and was rather thin, but that wasn't what spiked his interest. At the end of the bathtub, something odd was laying against the wall. The shape was strange and unnatural. 

“Wait... Are you ?”

A silence. The figure moved again. This time, Arin saw it clearly. It was the end of a tail.

“You're a siren!” Arin bawled.

“Oh fuck!”

The guy was getting more distressed with every second and after Arin pointed out his mutant trait, he began fumbling around like he wanted to escape. Arin heard more splashes and saw the water starting to spill on the floor. He quickly understood: the guy was here for the same reason as him. Arin had interrupted him while he was transformed.

“No wait, don't be afraid!” Arin pleaded. “I'm a mutant too, remember? Weretiger actually.”

“Yeah, and?”

“I won't... Give you away, I don't even know who you are.”

Arin sat down heavily. There was something comic behind the fact that two grown men were talking to each other with fake voices, separated by a mere shower curtain and afraid to open it. Yet, Arin felt the guy relax.

“You won't? You’re not going to... open this curtain to find out?”

“No man.”

“Cool. It's not that... I'm not ashamed but I found a great job here, you know? I don't want to lose it,” the siren began explaining.

Arin understood. A lot of people loved their job here, he didn't want to ruin it for the poor guy that was trying to hide behind this curtain.

“Tots get it.”

His answer was met with silence for a whole minute. Some slight anxiety crept up on Arin, telling him that he should try to make his guest comfortable, but it wasn't really his guest. Also, he wasn't in the best of places right now. He had broken in a bathroom while it was being used and he was lucky the other guy inside was a mutant himself, or he would have been in a really bad position. Now they both had an identity to hide. They were equally fucked by Arin's mistake. Wait, what?

“It may be strange but... it's kinda nice to have company yaknow?” The guy said suddenly.

“What do you mean?” Arin asked, even if he knew what the mutant was talking about. For years he had to hide in bathrooms at inconvenient times, waiting for his mutation to pass, not knowing that there was another one in his position.

“I mean I wouldn't mind meeting you again. Well, _hearing_ from you again. If you're okay with it?”

“Oh... Oh!” Arin wasn't expecting this.“Like a mutant friend?”

It was actually quite nice to think about it. Arin had always been alone in this and finding someone else was... a relief. His new friend giggled.

“Yeah, a _mutant friend_. Whadyou say?”

“Tomorrow same place?”

“Same time.”

This being said, Arin left the bathroom. He had obviously retracted his mutant traits, but he couldn't hide the bright smile that stayed on his lips for the rest of the night.

* * *

The following day, Arin had difficulties hiding his excitement. He was looking forward to meeting the guy from yesterday but as he couldn't explain that to anyone, he blamed his smile on being in a good mood. He had carefully examined his crew to find out who was slim with straight hair, but no one was really standing out. When he got in the bathroom this evening, using the same trick to open the door, his hands were shaky. But good-shaky, not anxious-shaky. He loved it. Entering, he immediately noticed the siren. He was still hiding behind the curtain of the bathtub, but this time he was looking more at ease than the last day. He stood still at first, waiting to know if he was in danger or not, but he seemed to spot Arin's tail and lay down.

“You're here!” Arin closed the door with his big paw. His tail was swinging with force.

“Of course idiot. We have a deal.”

Now that Arin knew, he noticed that the guy was using his mutant voice too. His natural voice was doubled and laced with hissing sounds. It was frightening. However, Arin's mutant voice was equally terrifying. He had thunder in his voice and when he wanted to, it was an octave lower than usual.

“Hey, is it too late to ask your name?”

“Sorry... What?” The surprise was real.

“Not like, your _real name_ but a codename at least? Or do you want me to call you fish-guy or something like that?”

The other guy held back a laugh. “I'm not a fish idiot, I'm a siren.”

“Oh, sorry. Then shall I call you Triton? King Triton? Or... Or you actually a girl?”

Arin heard splashes and more hidden laugh.

“I'll just call you Pantene,” the weretiger said.

“What the fuck?” The siren's laughter had spiked in the high notes. “Where does that comes from?”

“That's what's written on the bottle over there.” Arin grabbed a bottle of shampoo that was standing by itself on the sink. “Pantene: Be everyone you are!... The fuck? That doesn't mean anything!” The other guy's laugh boomed in the bathroom. Arin could see his figure straightening as hi laugher doubled. It was good to hear.

“No, please, don't.” The other said after regaining his composure a bit. Arin waited for him to get his breath back. “Just call me... Blue.”

“Blue? Okay, easy. Then call me Red.”

“Oh come on Tiger, you can do better than Red.”

“Wait, I like that,” Arin thought aloud. “Tiger. Yeah. Call me Tiger.”

A giggle. “Does it make you feel big and strong?”

“Hum, yes!” Arin said, flexing his furry muscles. “So big and so strong!”

The pair laughed again. They talked and laughed for a solid hour before Blue complained that he was freezing his balls off and they decided to report the meeting to the next day. Arin left the bathroom first. When he closed the door, he idly hesitated to wait and see. Blue had to go out at some point, right? But if he did... It'll be like cheating, and Blue could find out. He didn't know much about sirens, but he knew that they had some sort of higher sense or sonar to help them locate people. Or was that dolphins? Anyway, he couldn’t risk their newborn friendship.

* * *

They kept meeting like this for about a week. Their friendship was rapidly growing and Arin's curiosity grew with it. Who was this guy? He needed to know. He asked his name many times but Blue always refused to tell. He couldn't keep note of who came and who left, especially since it was like an open plan office or some sort of motel, and anyone could spend the night in if they wanted.

Tonight, after his evening chat with Blue, Arin's curiosity got the better of him. He stayed at the corner of the corridor, waiting for Blue to come out. Blue had once again refused to tell his true identity, but he was determined to find out one way or another. He waited and waited, and suddenly the door opened slightly. Very slowly, very carefully, it pushed ajar. A hand was opening it from the inside. Too focused on the hand, Arin took a jerky breath in and the other guy tensed. The door closed with a bang. Arin cursed under his breath and leapt to the door.

“Blue, please, it's just me! Don't be afraid!”

“You?!” Blue's voice was laced with fear and anger. “What are you doing, you fuckhead? I said I didn't want to tell you who I was!”

“Yeah, I'm sorry...”

“I'm literally freezing my ass off every night so that we can talk, but now you have to stalk me outside too?”

“Well, when you put it like this...”

“No, shut up! I don't want to hear anything! Don't you have any ethics at all? God! I'm so angry!”

Silence fell between them. Arin opened his mouth a few times, but with no idea about what to say he just kept babbling like a fish. He heard the door lock and enraged footsteps on the other side. Who knew a fish could walk like that? He was at fault here, so he just leaned on the door and let his body slide down, not bothering to hide his transformation. Instinctively, he knew that there was nobody around right now.

“I'm sorry. I'm _so_ sorry, Blue. I'm stupid.”

With no sound coming from the other side, Arin guessed that the man had stopped pacing.

“I wanted to have a mutant friend, but I guess I messed up. It's okay if you don't want to show yourself. I understand.”

“...Tiger?”

Arin made a sound of acknowledgement, something between a growl and a hollow acceptance of reality. He fell on the floor and stayed there. It was kinda soothing, although he would have preferred to not feel that guilty.

“Are you transformed?” Blue asked suddenly.

“Oh, hum, yes I am.”

“Cover your eyes.”

Arin tensed, he pondered for a moment before getting to a conclusion. If he wanted Blue's trust, he had to earn it. His furry hand fell in front of his eyes.

“Done.”

“You keep it that way until I say so,” Blue's voice was small. He was tired. Arin felt tired as well.

Before Arin could ask more, he heard the door open, and suddenly he understood why Blue wanted him to cover his eyes. He tensed and gulped nervously. He felt Blue's breath hitchhike. His feet brushed Arin's hair. He knew that even transformed, he was easily recognisable. A long moment passed, and he felt his fur rise. At least, the figure retracted in the bathroom, closing the door. Arin released a breath he didn't know he held.

“Okay. You're free,” Blue said.

Arin couldn't get his arm off his face. It was his fault, after all, he was the one that wanted to know who the siren was. He could have kept his need to himself but noooo, he needed to know. Blue must have felt his anguish because he spoke in an even voice.

“It's fine, I didn't look.”

“Whaaat?” Arin's high-pitched shrill would have sounded funny, whether the situation had been different. “What the fuck, man? That was such a dickmove! Do you want me to have a heart attack?” Arin straightened in a jump, turning towards the door as if it could hear him.

“Now, you know how walking out that door makes me feel every night.”

Arin shook at that statement. “Is it...?”

“Heck, scratch that. With you, even walking in is a challenge. I like you buddy, but I need time. I can't tell you who I am.”

Arin waited. He couldn't speak after a declaration like that. So he just tilted his head and leaned it on the door. It landed with a "thud”.

“... Ouch.”

Blue chuckled, and Arin stayed still. A smiled poked on his lips. He breathed out hard, relaxing on the wood. Then, something strange happened. He felt warmth coming from behind the door. Instinctively, he put his hand on the door and closed his eyes. Blue was just behind, as mysterious as the first day.

Then he heard it, and he was up in a microsecond.

“Fuck, FUCK! Open up!” Arin's voice was rushed but low. He was trusting on the doorknob but Blue had closed the door.

“What?”

“Someone's coming! Open up!”

He was fumbling inefficiently with the doorknob. Luckily, Blue opened it. Arin entered and had just the time to close it before the intruder turned in their hallway. Arin saw the end of a leg falling in the bathtub and heard a wet slide followed by a muffled bump. It was probably Blue trying to hide at the last second. Panting, Arin closed the door delicately and waited. One of his big tiger ears was stuck on the door listening to every little sound, while the other was stretched back in dread. The sound went pass them and slowly decreased.

“That was close,” Arin whispered. “Are you okay?”

“Are we safe?”

“Yeah, it's gone.”

There was a lot of squeals and wet sounds as Blue probably tried to find a better position in the tub. He must have had fallen in headfirst and stayed still, too afraid to move. Now, however, it was a concert of squeaky noises. Arin smiled, imagining how awkward it was to twist in an empty tub in the first place.

“I think I bumped my head,” Blue finally said, settling in.

Arin chuckled. “I'm okay, thanks for asking.”

“Don't say that! I feel like a hypocrite now.”

Arin laughed. He waited, listening to Blue settling in. A few seconds passed. The discussion came back to his mind. He had acted like an ass. It was a wonder Blue was still talking to him. Thinking about it, what was going on in this guy’s head? Giving him a lesson instead of running away.

“I'm sorry,” Arin suddenly apologized. “I shouldn't try to... force everything. I'm really bad with people.”

“It's okay Tiger, we'll come to it eventually.”

“So... We’re still friend?”

“Tomorrow same place?” Blue asked playfully.

Arin smiled. “Same time.”

 

 


	2. Lesson 2: To overcome your fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friendship blooms behind the privacy of a shower curtain.

The evenings went by swiftly. Hiding Blue to Dan was the real problem here. Not that Dan was annoying –how could anyone say that about him?- but he was a perceptive sonnavabitch and he never missed Arin's change of mood, even when it was good. Arin wanted to tell him about his new friend and relate the jokes they made but it was too risky. He managed to keep things to himself, and not tell about Blue. Blue’s friendship was doing him wonders because he could be himself, his mutant self, and have someone to talk about it. That's why there never were awkward silences. When they weren't talking, Arin was always purring with content. 

It was a resting place, and Arin was actually quite impatient for the end of the day to come so that he could go talk to Blue.

One night, after talking about ponies and ice creams -those two subjects surprisingly matched-, Arin rested against the tub, calm, when he felt something running down his back.

“Aug! What the...?”

He jumped up and frantically tried to get rid of whatever was running down his back. Blue laughed. The bastard! He had poured water down his back and now he was laughing his ass off.

“Asshole! You know I can’t stand water!” Arin roar-laughed.

“Hahaha! Really?! Damn, it’s even better!”

They laughed for a while and then fell into a peaceful silence. Arin was looking away when suddenly; he felt something else touching his shoulder. More water?! He jerked off and turned to face the shower curtain.

“C'mon man! Stop with tha-...”

Arin cut himself when seeing what had touched him. It was a hand, half-closed and recoiling. It was slender, slightly pale and with wonderful blue scales, and it was there. Arin couldn't stop himself and grabbed it.

“Oh! Slow down, Tiger. What are you doing?”

The hand tensed and tried to run away, but Arin’s grab was stronger. He took Blue's hand in his and watched it closely. The blue-violet scales were scattered here and there, shining and reflecting the light. The hand was frail, with fins between the fingers.

“Your hands are wonderful...”

“Wha...? How is that possible?”

“Just look! Look at mine!”

Without waiting for an answer, Arin trusted his arm behind the tub curtain. He felt something wet for a second before the figure retreated. He waited a minute then the siren slowly started to rub at his fur. It was light at first, then Blue started rubbing with excitement and passion, and began to grab more and more of his arm into the tub.

“You having fun?” Arin asked when his head pressed against the curtain after a fierce pull from the other side.

It felt a little strange, to have someone rubbing him, and he couldn’t quite tell what emotion he was feeling. Something weird and wonderful, definitely out of the ordinary. Maybe it was just because he was unused to it. Or was it? His head was getting fuzzy. The touch was pleasant and revolting at the same time because Blue's hand was wet and the sensation of water on his fur never made him at ease. At the same time, Blue was considerate, slow and peaceful. He was rubbing because he liked the softness of the fur and the sensation it gave. Arin was starting to settle down when and a sudden cold sensation wrapped his shoulder and made him jump out of his skin. He acted by reflex and grabbed the thing that had surprised him. It was Blue's hand, and he had grabbed it in an uncomfortable clutch. 

“Uh!” Blue said, disrupted by the grasp. “Hey, Tiger? You ok?”

Arin woke up from his daydream and caught on the awkwardness of the situation as he slowly came back to his senses.

“Wha...? Oh, yeah. It’s just... Your hand is wet.”

He released his friend’s hand, which went straight back behind the curtain. Arin mourned the lack of contact.

“Shit, sorry about that,” Blue apologized. “I was too caught up to notice.”

“Was it nice?”

Blue seemed to wonder, but he heard laugh hidden in his voice.

“Yeah, it was.”

* * *

“What are you thinking about, Ar?” Dan asked suddenly, very much aware that he was disturbing Arin in the middle of a daydream. 

They had just finished recording a session when Arin went silent. He was thinking about Blue and what they would talk about tonight, then he got lost in thought. He didn't even notice Dan turning off the recording. Dan stopped to see if Arin would come out of his stupor soon and rested his head in his hand while watching his friend with amusement.

“Aaaaarin.” Danny sang. “What's your sicriit?”

“Whadyoumean? Nothing. I'm not thinking about anything.”

“Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England. You have the biggest smile on your face bro, what's it here for?”

“Well I'm sorry your majesty, but I don't know what you are talking about.”

Dan's laughter boomed. “Shut up! Come on man, just tell me.”

Arin was afraid to talk. Because if he said “ _My new friend's a fish_ ”, Dan would take him to the loony bin. So he couldn’t say that. On the other hand, Dan was not a fool. He couldn’t escape this one by telling some blatant lie. He knew him too well to believe anything he was saying. If he lied now, he’d have explanations to do later. The best solution was to change the subject.

“Someone -and I won't tell who don't bother asking-, someone told me that... There may be a mutant in the team.”

Arin had managed to keep his voice even. It was the perfect plan. He could test Dan's reaction without telling that he was a mutant himself. But when Arin turned to look at his friend, Dan was quiet, still and very pale. Not the reaction he was hoping for.

“A mu... A what?” Dan sounded unsure.

“There's... a mutant among us.” It was Arin's turn to feel unsure. Dan was so obviously bothered by the whole affair that Arin was starting to have second thoughts, but it was too late to come back. He was stuck between revealing his secret trying to lighten the mood. And he... He couldn't.

“And... That's exciting, you know?” Arin added.

He was hoping Dan would react cheerfully, but he was not so lucky.

“What are you... Gonna do about it?” Dan asked slowly, thinking hard.

“I think it’s cool.”

“Yeah well, I’m a little bit deceived.”

Arin didn’t ask why. He could feel that Dan needed to think this over. A disrupting thought silenced him. What if Dan didn’t like mutants? What if he was afraid of them? He had messed up. To both Dan and Blue. He had to tell Blue about it and apologize.

But this evening, there was nobody in the bathroom.

* * *

And that was not the only bad news. Dan took a day off, leaving them to find other things to do until his return. Worse, he ignored Arin's texts the whole day. Arin tried to call Dan to ask why he was given the silent treatment, but his friend only said that he needed a day off. Blue didn't show up in the evening either and Arin, having spent the whole day working on his drawings, began to feel lonely. He was stalling in the Grump Space while gathering his stuff absent-mindedly when Brian came to speak to him.

“Hey, Arin. Hum... Okay so... Do you know what’s happening with Dan?”

“Oh, I wish I knew. He just said he needed a day, but I haven’t heard of him at all. What, do you have any news?”

“Weeeeell... When I called him earlier he talked about mutants and asked me how I felt about them? Just to let you know, I have nothing against them. I just... Hum... It’s strange for him to bring a subject like this.” 

Brian looked in the distance with a wince. He seemed to have an idea about what was off but he wouldn't tell. Shit. It really was about mutants then. Dan must have taken a day off because he was afraid of them. 

“I may...” Arin didn’t know if talking about Blue was a good idea, but he seemed to have no control over his words. He. “I may have talked about Blue without meaning to.”

“Blue what? What’s blue?” Brian asked.

“I mean! Erm...”

Okay, it was a stupid idea. He shouldn’t have mentioned Blue. At least now Arin knew Brian wasn’t Blue. It didn't match up anyway. 

“If you’re talking about Dan, yes, he’s a bit low right now. And please, don’t start da-be-di-da-be-dooing me, it's really not the right time, I’m serious. If you upset him, you should go and apologize.”

“Uh, what for?”

“I wish I knew... He’s been like this since your last session. I guess you talked about mutants and it somehow bumped him out.”

So his prediction was confirmed, Dan really was afraid of mutants.

“How do you know?” Arin asked.

“Easy. When Dan called me, we talked about what I thought about them. It's not something we usually talk about... he didn’t even tell me his own point of view.”

Arin sighed. All this drama just because he had blurted out about Blue. What a mess he made. He had to do something about it. It was his fault his friend was feeling down.

“Alright... I’m gonna go see Dan.”

* * *

Arin waited for a second before ringing. Dan's door was oppressing him. Arin had a plan in mind, but he really didn't want to put it in action. He gritted his teeth and swallowed his fear. He  _had_ to do this. Not for him, not for Blue, but for his friendship with Dan. He had to be honest and to reveal that he was a mutant. If Dan got scared... well... better to not think about it. But first, he needed to confirm why Dan had taken a day off and confirm his theory. Be a good friend,  _then_ be a monster. Good plan. 

He ringed and didn’t have to wait long before Dan opened. The poor guy seemed wealthy enough –good, good-, probably a bit tired but that was it. 

“Oh... Arin.”

“Hey, bud. Can I come in?”

“Uh... Yeah sure.” Dan was surprised but not reluctant –good, good-.

Arin entered, the door closed and they both walked to the living room. Arin sat on the sofa while Dan went to grab them some beers. Curiously, the atmosphere was not tense. It was Dan after all, and there was nothing the lanky boy could do that would put Arin on edge, unlike Arin with his big fat secret. 

“So, wasup? I’m sorry about missing work,” Dan apologized. “I’ll come back tomorrow. No worry.”

“Did you manage to get things straight on your side?”

“Yeah. I had to think about... things, but I’ll be ok. Were you worried?”

“Of course man! You never answered my texts!”

“What? I didn’t...?” Dan jumped to his phone hurriedly. He scrolled down his messages and made an apologetic face. “Ouch... Sorry, my bad. I meant to answer, I swear.”

“Rookie mistake.”

Dan scoffed and kept looking through whatever absurdities Arin had sent him today. He was smiling -good, good-. Arin gulped. It was time for the tricky part. He stood up, surprising Dan who looked at him with surprise. Arin was so anxious he began pacing without realising it.

“God, Arin. What’s gotten into you?”

“I... Actually, I came here to tell you something else. I wanted to check on you first and I uh... Do you have something against mutants?”

Better go straight to the point. If he didn't act now, he would most likely pussy out. He was already starting to regret this. Dan was looking at him like he had grown a second head. He was tensed. Arin didn’t like making his friend worry, but he has to do this because he had messed up with his mutant friend in the first place. Arin spoke slowly, choosing his words.

“You know how I said that there was a mutant in the team?”

Dan tensed up again, more than before. His twitching on his leg had stopped and his comportment had become crispy. He was scanning Arin cautiously, waiting for him to resume. Arin had to choose his next words carefully.

“Well, I... believe it’s because of what I said that you stayed home today, but I... kinda lied about it. Because the mutant, nobody _told_ me he was here. 'Cause he is... uh...”

Arin paused, looking in the distance and avoiding Dan's eyes in general. He clutched his hand together and, in a spike of adrenaline, transformed. He heard Dan stand up abruptly and step back. Arin immediately cursed himself. He knew it. He shouldn't have done that.

Arin had his ears close to his head. He was waiting for the judgment. He felt his fur rise on the back of his neck. Seconds passed. When no answer came, he looked at his friend. Dan seemed baffled -an understatement- but otherwise not disgusted. He was actually looking up at him with... hope? 

“I'm Blue...”

“Yeah, I know that already. You took a day off without warning and...”

“No idiot, I mean I'm Blue, your friend Blue.”

Arin looked at his friend. It was Dan. Blue was Dan. No, Dan was Blue. Dan was a siren. Dan was a mutant like him. Arin didn't know what was the worst: that he didn't know or that he didn't find out by himself.

“Arin? Are you okay? If you don't like it please tell me... I'd prefer to know right away.”

“NO! It's not-! I like it. I love it! It's just not what I expected to hear.”

Dan chuckled and Arin wondered how he could have missed it before. The laugh was unmistakable.

“You know what we are? Idiots. We're complete morons,” Dan said. 

Arin smiled, all dread forgotten.

“Agreed. I mean... man. I was so far from guessing it was you.”

They laughed again, harder, and just like that, they were back to their routine. Dan came back at the office the next day, and everything returned to normal. The only thing that changed for them was that their meetings were now happening with the curtains open.

* * *

One day, not the long after the whole ordeal, Brian approached him while he was alone. Arin didn’t even feel his presence before Brian spoke up.

“So, you two made up?” Brian asked playfully. 

Arin jumped lightly and turned to Brian with a smile. At the sight of the papers in his hands, Brian was still working. He had probably stopped on his way to get a coffee. 

“Yeah,” Arin answered in the same tone. “It was just some miscommunication problem.”

Arin smiled to convince Brian, and he managed to make him smirk. There was something malicious in his eyes, but Arin shrugged it off. There  _always_ was something malicious in Brian’s eyes, it didn’t mean that he knew everything. That was impossible.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


End file.
